Four Flemish higher education institutions, in collaboration with Belnet, are taking the lead in making SURF's edubadges service available to higher education in Belgium as well. They are supported in this by Kodeklub and Open Knowledge Belgium.
For the eleventh year in a row, Open Knowledge Belgium organises "Open summer of code", a 4-week learning-working path in which Belgian students are guided to turn open innovation projects into socially relevant services.
One of this year's projects is the Proof of Concept for edubadges in Belgium. Behind the scenes, Kodeklub is working on the development of the technology and Belnet is providing the necessary infrastructure.
Why edubadges?
Today's students expect convenience and freedom of choice, to study what they want, where they want, at their own pace and without too much paperwork. Edubadges offer them that flexibility and thus contribute to student mobility and lifelong learning.
What are edubadges?
Edubadges are digital certificates which show that the owner has acquired certain skills or knowledge. Edubadges can be awarded for both recognised courses and extracurricular activities within a secure and reliable platform.
How does edubadges work?
Various stakeholders are involved in edubadges: the higher education institution, the student and external parties (e.g. employees).
- An institution determines and develops its own edubadges for certain knowledge or skills and communicates these to its teachers and students.
- The student applies for an edubadge online.
- The teacher or the administration of the educational institute checks the application and awards the edubadge if the student meets the criteria.
- The student receives the edubadge in his/her "backpack" and can share it digitally with other educational institutions or employers.
- External parties such as employers or other educational institutions can verify the authenticity and legitimacy of the edubadge.
Interested in edubadges?
Would your college or university like to collaborate with the Arteveldehogeschool, HoGent, KdG and Thomas More on the further development of the edubadges service for Belgium? Please contact Belnet for more information.
On Thursday 29 July at the Osoc Demo Day, the students will give a presentation on the current state of affairs of the PoC edubadges in Belgium. You can register for free via Demo Day OSOC21.
Need more information about this project?